The Jewish feasts mentioned in Leviticus 23 have a prophecy component to them as well as an operational component. We’ll look at the six one in this post: Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). It occurred on the tenth day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar (September/October on our calendar today).

In order to understand the meaning of “atonement,”, the word can be broken down into its components: at•one•ment. Its purpose was to bring people back to unity with God. This was the only day of the year the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies. The Jewish tabernacle, or temple, had two divisions to it. One was called the Holy Place where the priests would offer incense (representing prayers to God), and it also contained a menorah and a table which always held twelve loafs of bread for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the New Testament, Christ stated he was the “light of the word” (Jn 8:12) and the “bread of life” (Jn 6:51). All of the elements of the tabernacle pointed toward the need for atonement and to its future fulfillment. As the other feasts were prophetic, this one, though solemn, was no different.

Once a year, the high priest was allowed to enter the second division of the temple, the Holy of Holies. Inside this room, which was a perfect cube in shape, was the Ark of the Covenant which contained the Mercy Seat above it where there were two cherubim facing each other in deference. Atop the mercy seat was where blood was placed to represent the blood atonement for sin.

Why was blood needed for atonement? Two verses come to mind. “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (Lv 17:11). “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hb 9:22). I think the statement, “life is in the blood” is important. What does this mean? Well, let’s look at the components of blood: white blood cells (leukocytes), which are involved with the body’s immune system to fight off disease; platelets (thrombocytes), which are involved with the body’s clotting mechanism; and red blood cells (erythrocytes), which carry oxygen to all the cells of the body. Oxygen is important for life. The other cells are important to help sustain life, but without oxygen, life cannot exist.

In Genesis, we read that God breathed into Adam and he became alive (Gn 2:7). We just stated that erythrocytes hold the oxygen (i.e., one’s breath). Using blood is the tangible giving back to God the breath He gave man. Using blood for cleansing (purification) was used to make something holy for use in worship of God. Therefore, blood became a symbol of giving back to God the life God gave man.

When outside the tabernacle, or temple, the High Priest wore special clothing to signify his status before the people. Yet, when he entered the Holy of Holies, the High Priest wore plain white clothes just like all the other priests wore in their daily services. Why? Because before God, everyone is the same with no special status. In addition, the High Priest had to offer a sacrifice for himself and his family before he made sacrifice for the people. He placed coals from the altar in a censer as well as incense as he entered the Holy of Holies. He then chose two goats. Lots were cast to define which was the “scapegoat.” One was sacrificed and the scapegoat was set free. He sprinkled blood before the Ark and Mercy Seat seven times (the number of completion) from his sacrifice and then repeated that for the blood of the goat as a sacrifice for the people. He then laid his hands on the head of scapegoat and set it free in the wilderness, which indicated their sins were removed from them.

Over time, many Jews began to consider the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to be a time of introspection – called Days of Awe. An individual seeks atonement of sins over the previous year: between them and other individuals; between them and God. At Yom Kippur, one’s sentence is sealed by God. God decides if an individual will have a good life or not over the next year, and who will live and who will die. During the Days of Awe, an individual can change God’s mind by repentance, prayer, and good deeds.

Yet, this was not the original intent of Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement. Israel called on God to remember His covenant with them (Feast of Trumpets; Rosh Hashanah). There was nothing else they could rely on to appease God for their sins. In the same way, after we receive Christ as our Savior, we ask God to view us through His blood – not on our own merit. A sacrifice God demanded was presented before Him for the nation’s forgiveness (Day of Atonement). This was not due to any work that Israel could do. This pointed to the ultimate sacrifice God had ordained – His Son (second person of the Godhead) – through whom we are saved; it is not on our own merit. There is nothing Israel could do, or we can do, to alter God’s decision or plan.

There are four elements of atonement. The first is Propitiation, which means appeasement of God’s wrath. Mankind cannot appear before God and live: “The Lord said to Moses: Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die” (Lv 16:2); “no one may see me and live” (Ex 33:20). Propitiation was the function of the Mercy Seat (Atonement Cover). It is a Symbol of Christ: Christ presented himself as a sacrifice of atonement (i.e., propitiation) (Ro 3:25); Christ is the atoning sacrifice (propitiation) for our sins (1Jn 2:2); God sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice (propitiation) (1Jn 4:10).

The second element is Reconciliation, which means the reestablishment of friendship: then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins (Lv 16:30). Yet, Lv 16:34 states, “Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.” Christ’s death reconciles us to God: God reconciled us to Himself through Christ, does not count our sins against us, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2Co 5:18-19); the death of Christ reconciles both Jews and Gentiles – there is no longer a barrier (balustrade) between the two (Ep 2:16).

The third element is Justification, meaning being declared righteous by God: then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins (Lv 16:30). The sacrifice pointed to something deeper: God does not delight in sacrifice but in a broken and contrite heart (Ps 51:16); by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many (Is 53:11); the righteous will live by his faith (Hk 2:4). We are justified by faith through Christ: since we have been justified (declared righteous) through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Ro 5:1).

The fourth element is Cleansing, meaning being made acceptable and useful in service to God: various requirements for becoming clean (Lv 11-15); make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community (Lv 16:33). This is likely one of the main reasons for sacrifices being made during the Millennium: sinful man will be in the presence of a holy God; blood is put on the altar to purify it before sacrifice (Ek 43). We do not lose our sin nature: if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1Jn 1:9).

So, what is the future fulfillment of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)? Christ’s Second Coming. His return to earth is the fulfillment of this Feast. Why? Because Christ provides atonement for the nation of Israel: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son . . . On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and impurity” (Zc 12:10; 13:1).

So, what is our takeaway from all of this? We see that God is consistent no matter the day and age in which people live. The elements for atonement are applicable to both Old Testament and New Testament times. The differences? Israel was a chosen nation to mediate God to the world; therefore, that nation was held to a higher standard. Israel was pre-cross, so the elements were physical and pointed toward what Christ would accomplish. We are post-cross and benefit from what Christ has already done for us. Faith was required both pre- and post-cross.

Isn’t God amazing and wonderful? He meets our needs in every age and prepares for our future needs at the same time. What a mighty God we serve!

The sin offering brings up an important question: what is sin? I think God defined it for the Israelites: “If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them…” (Lv 4:1; emphasis mine). And, since God does not change (Ml 3:6), it is still God’s definition. While this definition may not sit well with us today, it is the definition God himself put on it. Sin is anything God has commanded not to be done. It doesn’t matter if we can rationalize it. God’s definition still stands. Also, we see that sin may be either ignorant or willful; active or passive. This means we can sin even when we don’t intend to. Ignorance was not punished, but revelation of one’s ignorance required action.

Why was this so important to God? Sin results in defilement. God stated there were sins which Israel committed which were said to defile the people, the land, and even the dwelling place of God: sexual immorality (Lv 18:24-30); bloodshed (Nu 35:29-34); occult practices (Lv 19:31; 20:6); infant sacrifice (Lv 20:1-5); divorce (Jr 3:1); false worship (Jr 16:18). These are things we still commit today. We may have tweaked them and made them more sophisticated, but we still commit them. God still sees them as sin.

Sin is exceedingly costly. The people had to sacrifice their livelihood and be dependent upon God for their survival. Bob Deffinbaugh, Community Bible Chapel, Richardson, TX, made the following statement: “When you think of what it would cost an Israelite who wished to maintain his walk with God, it would have been a religion almost too costly to be able to afford. No wonder God promised to prosper this people greatly!” If this practice of worship was still in existence today, would people even dare obey it?

The only solution for the guilt of sin was blood atonement. Sin led to guilt which led to blood sacrifice. By offering fat and sprinkling blood and then destroying the rest, God made it clear it was the blood that made atonement. The death of Christ, who died once and for all, has made atonement for man’s sin, and assures forgiveness.

Ignorance is not bliss. Bob Deffinbaugh also stated the following, “The Israelites were held accountable for the sins they committed ignorantly. Many contemporary Christians seem to think that if they don’t study their Bibles, if they don’t familiarize themselves with the standards and principles God has given in the Bible, they will not be responsible for their sins committed in ignorance. Not so! The Sin Offering strongly suggests that we had better become careful students of the revealed Word of God, for it is disobedience to His word that constitutes sin.” And as was already stated, we don’t define sin, God does.

So, what’s the answer? What is our hope? Christ is our answer. “But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Hb 9:11-14).

In addition, Peter tells us the following: “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed form the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with this previous blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified them, and so your faith and hope are in God” (1Pt 1:13-21).

Although God hates sin, he loves us. That is why he paved the way for us. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. We just have to accept. Will you? Take that leap of faith. Your only regret will only be why you didn’t do it even earlier.

I guess it’s pretty self-explanatory what a sin offering was for. Yet, since everyone sins, everyone’s sin had to be atoned for—including the priests. This offering was made when one sinned unintentionally, and it was made for a specific sin.

When priests unintentionally sinned, it brought guilt to all the people. When such occurred, the priest was to bring a young bull without blemish (Lv 4:3-12). A bull was one of the more expensive and precious livestock. The priest would lay his hands on the animal for atonement and then slaughter it. The blood of the bull was sprinkled before the veil in the Holy Place of the tabernacle. Blood was then placed on the horns of the Altar of Incense, and the remainder of the blood was poured at the base of the Brazen Altar outside the tabernacle. The fat of the animal was then offered on the Brazen Altar. The remainder of the animal was taken outside the camp to the ash heap and burned to ashes on a wood fire. This was symbolic of how sins were dealt with by God. The sin was symbolically transferred to a valuable animal whose blood atoned for their relationship to God, for their prayers to God, and then offered to God. Once the animal was completely consumed, nothing of the sin was left remaining.

When the congregation sinned unintentionally, they, too, were to bring a young bull without blemish (Lv 4:13-21). The elders (one from each of the twelve clans or tribes) would lay their hands on the head of the animal for atonement and then slaughter it. Again, this shows how they were intimately involved with the sacrifice. The blood of the bull was sprinkled before the veil in the Holy Place of the tabernacle and placed on the horns of the Altar of Incense. The remainder of the blood was poured at the base of the Brazen Altar, the fat offered, and the remainder of the animal taken outside the camp to the ash heap and burned to ashes on a wood fire.

When a leader of the people sinned unintentionally, he would bring a male goat without defect (Lv 4:22-26). He would lay his hands on the head of animal for atonement and then slaughter it himself. The priest would then place the blood on the horns of the Brazen Altar while the remainder of the blood was poured at its base. The fat of the animal was offered. Both the priest and his male family members could eat the remainder within the courtyard of the tabernacle.

When a member of the community sinned unintentionally, they would bring either a female goat or female lamb without defect (Lv 4:27-35). They would lay their hands on the head of animal for atonement and then slaughter it themselves. The priest would place blood on the horns of the Brazen Altar, the remainder of the blood poured at its base, and the fat offered on the Brazen Altar. The priest and his male family members could eat the remainder within the courtyard of the tabernacle.

So, what happened with the sin was not unintentional? The sin not forgiven (Lv 5:1). Also, if someone did not speak up about what they knew about someone accused, they would be held responsible and a sin offering would not be accepted. A defiant sin was not forgiven and they would lose their inheritance (Nu 15:27-31).

There were several sins mentioned that would be forgiven (Lv 5:2-4): realizing one unknowingly touched something unclean, or someone thoughtlessly took an oath. They had to confess their specific sin (Lv 5:5). Once the sin was recognized, specific requirements were dictated (Lv 5:6-13). The offender was to bring either a female lamb or goat, or, if they were poor, they were to bring two doves or two pigeons: one for a sin offering; the other for a burnt offering. The sin offering was made first (the head of the bird was wrung from its neck, blood splattered against the side of the Brazen Altar; the remainder drained at the base of the Brazen Altar). The other bird was offered as a burnt offering as previously described. If they could afford neither of these types of offerings, they were to bring one-tenth ephah (3½ lbs) of the finest flour (this required extreme effort on their part to make flour this fine). It could not contain olive oil or incense. The memorial part was offered on the altar; the rest of the offering belonged to the priest.

Some interesting facts were then provided about this type of offering (Lv 6:24-30). Whatever touched the flesh of the sacrifice became holy. Blood on any garment had to be washed in the sanctuary area. A clay pot cooking the meat had to be destroyed. A bronze pot cooking the meat had to be scoured and rinsed with water. As previously noted, only the flesh from the sin offering which did not require blood to be sprinkled in the Holy Place could be eaten by the priest; otherwise, the rest of the sacrifice had to be taken outside the camp and burned to ashes.

In summary, the sin offering was to be made for a specific sin and had to be made as soon as possible once the sin was identified. This type of offering was made only for sins which were unintentional. The offering made for sin which caused the congregation to sin was treated differently from the offering made for one’s individual sin, and the one making the offering received none of the sacrifice for consumption.That brings us to the real question: what was the purpose of all of this? Stay tuned for the next post which will address this question and then explore what it means for us today.

The third type of sacrifice mentioned in Leviticus is the Peace Offering – sometimes also called Fellowship Offering. Three options were given for this type of sacrifice: it had to be an animal from the herd (i.e., cattle) (Lv 3:1), or an animal from the flock (i.e., sheep) (Lv 3:6), or a goat (Lv 3:12). It could be either male or female, but had to be without defect (Lv 3:1, 6). The other interesting thing here is that the one making the offering was intimately involved in the sacrifice. First, he placed his hand on the animal’s head (Lv 3:2, 8, 13) as a symbol of transferring his sins, or those of his family, to the animal. Then he had to slaughter the animal in front of the tabernacle (Lv 3:2, 8, 13). This was not the duty of the priest, but the one making the offering. As I said, the one making the offering was intimately involved. Then, the priest splashed the animal’s blood against the sides of the altar (Lv 3:2, 8, 13). The animal’s internal organs, fat, long lobe of its liver, and its kidneys were offered on the altar (Lv 3:3-4, 9-10, 14-15).

To honor this type of sacrifice, there were several prohibitions which were instituted: the people were not to eat any fat or any blood (Lv 3:17; 7:26; 17:12) because that was the part of the animal being offered to God; a foreigner living in the land could not eat blood (Lv 17:12) because the land was tied to Israel and its covenant with God (Ex 6:4, 8); anytime game was caught, the blood had to be drained and covered with dirt (Lv 17:13), and anyone found eating blood would lose their inheritance (Lv 7:27) because God had decreed blood to be holy (Gn 9:4, 6) and would pollute the land of their covenant (Nu 35:33) as well as being the source of redemption (Hb 9:22).

There were several things that made this offering unique. The reason for the offering could be for expressing thankfulness (Lv 7:12), because of a vow (Lv 7:16), or given as a freewill offering (Lv 7:16). This type of offering was mandatory only at Pentecost (Lv 23:19) and for fulfilling a Nazarite vow (Nu 6:13-20), which was a vow of dedication to God for a specific period of time.

When this offering was made, several things were made with it: a thick loaf made with fine flour and olive oil, but without yeast (Lv 7:12), or thin loaves made without yeast, but brushed with olive oil (Lv 7:12), or a thick loaf made with yeast (Lv 7:13). The thick loaves then belonged to the priest making the sacrifice (Lv 7:14), the one making the offering would wave the breast before the Lord and give it to the high priest and his sons (Lv 7:30-31) while the right thigh was given to the priest making the sacrifice (Lv 7:32). The remainder of the animal was for the one making the offering and his family (Dt 27:7).

God wanted the people to take this offering very seriously, even if it was for the most part voluntary. If offered for thanksgiving, the meat had to be eaten that day with nothing left over until the next (Lv 7:15). If offered for a vow or as a freewill offering, it could be eaten the second day, but not the third; it had to then be burned (Lv 7:17-18). Violators of this requirement would lose the acceptance of their offering by God (Lv 7:18). Anyone who was unclean and partook of a peace/fellowship offering lost their inheritance (Lv 7:20). All sacrifices had to be brought to the tabernacle. They could not be offered elsewhere; the consequence was also losing one’s inheritance (Lv 17:3-4). For us today, some of the requirements seem rather strange. We will go into this aspect next time and see why God had some of these requirements for the Israelites and what it can mean for us today. I hope you join me.​Related Posts:Grain OfferingBurnt OfferingsHeaven for the Bride

Burnt offerings, while not uncommon to Israel, had special meaning and application for the Israelites as dictated by God. As stated in a previous post, this was one of the most common types of sacrifices, and they already had some understanding about this type of sacrifice. So, what did they understand? They were able to draw upon the experience from several more notable ancestors.

From Noah’s burnt offering experience (Gn 8:20-22), Israelites saw that the burnt offering was a means of avoiding God’s wrath and of obtaining God’s favor. God’s blessing did not come from their good deeds, but by their burnt offering, i.e., their pledge and dedication to God. From Abraham, willing to offer up Isaac as a burnt offering (Gn 22), the Israelites understood the promise of the Abrahamic Covenant (Gn. 12:1-3) involved the death and resurrection of one of Abraham’s offspring. The ram Abraham offered died in the place of Isaac – a picture of what was to occur in their future when Christ, their Messiah, would come. While the second point is very clear to us, it likely was not to the Israelites of that day. Yet, they clearly understood the first point.

So, what does all of this mean for us today? We need to understand and recognize that Christ was the fulfillment of the burnt offering these Israelites made. Several scriptures point to this fact: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29); Christ was the final and complete archetype as He died “once for all” (Hb 9:12, 26; 10:10). Yet, faith is still the requirement. The burnt offering symbolized the Old Testament saint’s faith in God’s provision for his sins, and for his access to God. The burnt offering symbolized the Old Testament saint’s faith in God, and his intention to love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love his neighbor as himself (Dt 6:5).

This type of offering is important for us to understand as it will also be a part of our future once Christ returns. A burnt offering will be made every morning on the altar by the priests (Ek 46:13). People of the land (likely meaning Israel) will provide a percentage of their flocks to the Prince for burnt offerings and other offerings (Ek 45:15-16). The Prince will offer burnt offerings on New Moons, Sabbaths, and Feasts (Ek 45:17). People throughout the world who accept the Lord as the Hope of their future will be brought to him as an offering (Is 66:20), likely representative of a burnt offering.

Yet, in spite of all of the regulations around the sacrifice, it was never about the act of the sacrifice itself: “With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Mi 6:6-8).So, what is our sacrifice today? Consider this verse: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hb 13:15-16).

Let’s summarize what we have learned about the burnt offering:

It was for man’s depravity (his sinful state). This sacrifice was almost always needed in order to approach God for any reason. We can only approach God because of Christ becoming our burnt offering to offer himself for our depravity.

It was a principle of particularity. God was very particular in how man would approach Him. We can only come to God through Jesus Christ: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6).

It was a principle of acceptance of God. Most self-help books tell how a person should accept themselves, while the burnt offering was all about making a person right with God. Scripture states is a better goal to hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant” (Mt 25:21).

It was a principle of atonement through the shedding of blood. The sinful state of man requires the shedding of innocent blood: without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin (Hb 9:22). Why blood? Maybe because God breathed into man a breath of life (Gn 2:7). Oxygen is what we breathe, and blood cells carry the oxygen; so, blood represented life. Perhaps that is why eating blood was prohibited (Lv 17:10).

It was a principle of identification. The one making the offering had to identify with the animal, understand he was bringing his best to represent him, and symbolically transfer his sin to the animal which is then worthy of death. We, today, identify with Christ who bore our sin and died for our sin.

It was a principle of sacrifice. Neither the one making the offering nor the priest benefited from this type of sacrifice. What was gained was a statement of devotion to God. We, too, are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to him (Ro 12:1-2).Hopefully, you see that the acts of these ancient Israelites have meaning for us today. Certainly, we can offer a sacrifice of praise to the One who has bestowed life to us and given us an eternal hope. Can you do that today?

The first offering we come to in Leviticus is the burnt offering. Yet, this is not the first time we see such an offering in the Bible. It actually originated in Genesis and was first mentioned by Noah when he offered burnt offerings of clean animals (Gn 8:20). Yet, this offering was likely first shown to Adam, since their clothes came from animals (Gn 3:21) which were likely from the animal hides from a burnt offering as the animal skin was the only thing not consumed in a burnt offering (Lv 7:8).

There are other places where burnt offerings are mentioned prior to Leviticus: Abraham was told to offer Isaac as a burnt offering (Gn 22); Moses told Pharaoh that the Israelites needed to go into the desert to offer burnt offerings to God (Ex 10:25-26); Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, offered a burnt offering to God (Ex 18); when the Israelites made a golden calf, they also offered burnt offerings (Ex 32).

We see, then, that burnt offerings were not necessarily a new offering God commanded to Israel. Yet, he did add His requirements to them. It could be offered in two ways: a personalized offering by an individual (Lv 1:2), and only males were allowed to make this offering—likely on behalf of their whole family (Jb 1:5); or as an offering for the community as a whole, and done on their behalf by the priest. A burnt offering was made on behalf of the congregation in the morning and in the evening (Ex 29:38-42; Nu 28:3, 6; 2Ch 2:4). An additional burnt offering was offered every Sabbath (Nu 28:9-10), at the beginning of each month (i.e., every new moon; Nu 28:11), at the celebration of Passover on the 14th day of the 1st month (Nu 28:16), along with the grain offering at the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot; Nu 28:26), and offered on the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah; Nu 29:1).

Burnt offerings were also often offered in conjunction with other sacrifices: guilt offering (Lv 5:7, 10, 17-18); sin offering (Lv 5:7; 6:25; 9:2-3, 7; 12:6, 8); freewill offering (Lv 22:18), with the sheaf offering at Feast of Firstfruits (Lv 23:12), and with the new grain offering on Shavuot (Lv 23:15-22). It was also required for various cleansing rituals: cleansing of a woman’s uncleanness as a result of child-bearing (sin and burnt offering required; Lv 12:6-8); cleansing of a leper (Lv 14:19-20); cleansing of a man with a discharge (with a sin offering; Lv 15:14-15); cleansing of a woman with an abnormal discharge (with a sin offering; Lv 15:30); cleansing of a Nazarite who was unintentionally defiled by contact with a dead body (Nu 6:11, 14); purification of the congregations when the congregation unwittingly failed to observe one of God’s commands, and was thereby defiled (Nu 15:22-26); purification and consecration of Aaron (Lv 16:3, 5, 24) as well as all the Levites (Nu 8:12).

One of the unique characteristics about this offering was that was totally consumed. Other offerings allowed either the priest or the one making the offering to partake of the offering, but not this one. As stated previously, only the hide could be kept by the priest (Lv 7:8).

It is interesting that the word for offering in Hebrew was “corban” (Lv 1:2). This gives a little insight into the corruption of the New Testament priests when they allowed and/or encouraged people to “corbanize” their possessions (Mk 7:11). They were essentially saying a person’s possession were a burnt offering to the Lord and were, therefore, more important than taking care of their family. This practice went again part of God’s commandments to Israel where they were commanded to honor their father and mother (Ex 20:12; Lv 19:3; Dt 5:16).

God also expected His instructions about burnt offerings to be taken seriously. Not taking a burnt offering or sacrifice to the tabernacle would lead to a person no longer having an inheritance (Lv 17:9). Nadab and Abihu, priests and sons of Aaron, were killed for not following sacrificial protocol (Lv 10).

Yet, God also considered the ability of a person or family in what they were able to offer. God allowed three types of animals to be offered as a burnt offering: offerings from the herd (i.e., bull; Lv 1:3-9); offerings from the flock (a sheep or a goat; Lv 1:10-13); offerings of birds (turtledoves or pigeons; Lv 1:14-17). Being poor was a basis for reduction in sacrifice demanded by God (Lv 14:21-22, 31).

Still, God did have specific requirements around these animals to be used as a burnt offering. The animal had to be of the highest quality. Unless a bird was offered, the animal from the herd or flock had to be male, and the animal had to be young (i.e., it was at its prime reproductive status). This made the one giving the offering dependent upon God for further provision and prosperity.The offering was a very personal experience. The one providing the offering laid his hand on the head of the animal—symbolically transferring sins to the animal; not specific sins, but sinfulness in general. The one providing the offering was also the one who killed the animal. This was very up close and personal, wasn’t it? The priest then took the blood and sprinkled it before the altar and prepared the animal for sacrifice. This offering served as the atonement for the overall sinful state of the person/family/community.

While sacrifice is a theme in Leviticus, what is needed for a sacrifice was an altar. While altars are not necessarily specific for the sacrifices made to God, it is interesting that God made certain specifications about the altars used in worship to Him. Here in Leviticus, God again takes what mankind has altered for his own concept and re-establishes His original intent. After all, God make the first sacrifice to clothe Adam and Eve (Gn 3:21), and instituted the idea of sacrifice in worship to Him (Gn 4:3-4). So, the idea of sacrifice and how to worship was not a man-made idea. In Leviticus, God was setting the requirements of how to worship Him. We never approach God out of how we think it should be done. God sets the standard for everything and sets the requirements to be met to worship Him.

An altar was an important part of worship and sacrifice. They were used in both private or family worship (Gn 31:54; 46:1), or for congregational worship (Lv 1-5). God allowed altars of diverse types for specific types of worship. Yet, He was the one who set the standard for worship and not those giving the worship. Based upon archeological finds and Scripture, the following were types used in worship of God: a rectangular raised altar of earth, sod, or clay (Ex 20:24), a rectangular altar of non-hewn stone (Ex 20:25), a nearby stone of the right size and shape (Jd 6:20; 13:19). In these instances, steps were not to be used (Ex 20:26).

For congregational worship, altars were also used. The altar of bronze (acacia wood overlaid with bronze) for the Tabernacle which Moses had built was made as specified by God Himself (Ex 27:1-8). This particular one was 7.5 feet square and 4.5 feet high (Ex 27:1). As time went on and more permanent structures were erected in worship to God, these altars also got more elaborate. When King Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, this altar was made of solid bronze and its dimensions were 30 feet square and 15 feet high (2Ch 4:1). This altar therefore needed a ramp to reach its top, since steps were forbidden (Ex 20:26). The size of this altar when the temple was re-built after the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity (Er 3:2), or when Herod upgraded this temple, is unknown.

The next temple specified was that of Ezekiel’s vision (Ek 40). In this temple, which is thought to be the one which will be erected when Christ returns to set up His kingdom, the size of the altar was specified: 18 feet square and 16.5 feet high (Ek 43:13-17). This altar will have steps (Ek 13:17). The reason steps are now allowed is unclear, but it may be because there will be no other worship of any god except at this temple in the worship of the One True God.

It is also interesting to note that the size and grandeur of these temples increased over time as well. The original tabernacle was about one-fourth the size of our football field today. Solomon’s temple was about two-thirds the size. Herod’s temple was about three times the size, and Ezekiel’s temple will be approximately 12 times the size of our football field.

The main point here is that we worship God the way God prescribes and not to our own understanding. Are you trying to worship Him on your terms and your understanding? Get on His side. You’ll be much happier. He sets the standard for us to obey. He has always done that and will do that as we go into eternity with Him. Praise be to Him!

Probably the best way to understand atonement is to separate it into its parts: at•one•ment. It is the making of ourselves to be at one with God. Although Leviticus seems complicated, this is its main thrust. Let’s see if we can break it down into understandable chunks. There are four main elements of atonement. Let’s look at each of them.

Propitiation: This sounds like a complicated word, but simply means, “the appeasement of God’s wrath.” Mankind cannot appear before God in his current condition and live. God told Moses, “Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die” (Lv 16:2). He also told Moses, “No one may see me and live” (Ex 33:20). I know that sound kind of harsh, but God was really trying to protect them and keep them safe. Remember, God sets the standard, not ourselves.

This brings us to the function of the Mercy Seat, or Atonement Cover, which would appease this wrath of God because of the blood placed on the Mercy Seat. It allowed Aaron, the High Priest, to appear before God once a year. If you recall, the Ark of the Covenant was in a separate part of the Tabernacle by itself in a place called the Holy of Holies. This is where the Shekinah glory of God would meet with the High Priest once a year for national atonement. The Mercy Seat was set over the ark. It is really a symbol for Christ. Paul tells us Christ presented himself as a sacrifice of atonement (i.e., propitiation) (Ro 3:25), and John stated Christ is the atoning sacrifice (propitiation) for our sins (1Jn 2:2), and God sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice (propitiation) (1Jn 4:10).

Reconciliation: This is a word meaning the reestablishment of friendship between God and mankind. God stated that if the atonement before God and the Mercy Seat was made, “then, before the lord, you will be clean from all your sins” (Lv 16:30). This is a representation of what Christ’s death did for use. He reconciled us to God: “God reconciled us to Himself through Christ, does not count our sins against us, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2Co 5:18-19); “the death of Christ reconciles both Jews and Gentiles – there is no longer a barrier (balustrade) between the two” (Ep 2:16). Therefore, he has reconciled all of mankind to himself.

Justification: This is a word that means, “Declared righteous by God.” We can never earn our right standing before God. As we have seen in a previous post, God’s standard is perfection—something we cannot attain ourselves. Because of Christ’s reconciliation, we are then justified, or declared righteous, by God. Because of the act of the high priest on the Day of Atonement, God said, “Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins” (Lv 16:30). The sacrifice made pointed to something much deeper: “God does not delight in sacrifice but in a broken and contrite heart” (Ps 51:16); “by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many” (Is 53:11); “the righteous will live by his faith” (Hk 2:4). What we could not do, God did for us. We only need to believe and put our faith in His actions. “We are justified by faith through Christ: since we have been justified (declared righteous) through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ro 5:1).

Cleansing: This is a term meaning to be made acceptable and useful in service to God. Cleansing was an important part in Old Testament worship: various requirements for becoming clean were required (Lv 11-15), and even the elements of worship needed to be cleansed: “make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community” (Lv 16:33).

This requirement of cleansing is likely one of the main reasons for why sacrifices will be required during Christ’s Millennium Kingdom. Sinful man will live in the presence of a holy God. Again, elements for worship must be cleansed, especially the altar for sacrifice (Ek 43). Even today, even if we accept Christ through faith, we do not lose our sin nature. John tells us, “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn 1:9).As you can see, although God sets a high standard, he knows our shortcomings and loves us enough to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Isn’t that like a Good Father. Are you expressing your thanks to Him?